its nice having it all in one video. Spotted a second pull station by the entrance to the house garage that you must have added. Definetly makes sense to have one there. You should activate the garage system by the pull station in the pool shed next month. Looking forward to videos on the new additions and linking the systems.
Awesome work on this video, very entertaining! For the next test video I vote for testing the pull station in the pool shed! (Also I completely agree, that is definitely some great weather)
As an American, I didn’t know you had those strobe rules. They do seem kind of strange like you said. I know that here in the US strobes in sleeping areas have to be at least 115cd at the pillow and ADA strobe smoke alarms have to be 177cd. There aren’t really any limits. Great video! They just keep getting better.
Since we have the new system in the house, I’d like to see the smoke detector in the furnace room be tested next month. As for the garage building, the pull station in the storage room would be cool to see being tested.
Good to see both systems working as they should. Good job. Noticed a second pull station in your house basement. I assume you were planning to reveal it in another video but maybe activate that station for the November testing video? As for the garage building, maybe use the tower pull station? That would be cool. Also, good job on boosting your grade to an A. You deserve it.
The NFS2-320C monitors the 9200. Also you added a pull by the door to the garage I see... Cool that you used my favourite fire alarm control panel for the house. (Its the NFS2-320) Supervised systems! Also I saw the emergency light on the ceiling. I get the way it works and want to see the system! Block heaters will help any engine. Also you are not a nerd, Things like that are cool! For the garage, fog up the new storage room. For the house do the new pull. (the one by the house's garage) Great video!
Honestly I'd go for 75 candela on the strobes in your house, that system is meant to protect the house and isn't like the one in your garage so getting the best coverage possible would definitely be a benefit
75 is probably a good number I'm not sure what you mean by "isn't like the system in the garage" they are a different brand but they are doing the same thing
@@nics-systems-electric The system in the garage seems to be aimed more towards a hobby system from what I can tell, but either way, you still did an amazing job on both
@@TuesdayOra not really it's it's the only fire protection for the building(s) though I have used it for demonstrations is still just as real as the system in the house and in some was more important as it monitors sprinkler flow
I meant to comment on what device to do but I forgot, I was actually gonna suggest the one you did but since you did it this month, maybe do the smoke detector in the garage bay next month?
As far as the videos for your emergency systems go, I would like it to be kept in one video, but hey, that is just me. Monitoring your house Fire alarm, I am not sure if you are putting the same thing you have in the Garage (I almost want to call it "Pickle 700 HQ" because that was your original channel name, and it is basically your office building at this point) the Rising-Link device, I am not sure if you are going to put the same thing in your house fire alarm system, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea. But anyway, I had a fire drill at my High School today, and unfortunately there was one casualty as far as Horn/Strobes go in the gym, there are 6 Horn/Strobes in that gym. One of them was not working as the strobe was not flashing, couldn't tell if the horn was working, but I knew the strobe was obviously dead, the 6 in the gym were original SpectrAlert, but majority of the building had SpectrAlert Advances, a couple of L-Series ceiling mount strobes, 3 of them newly installed in boys bathrooms because someone was ripping them off the wall, so now they are on the ceiling, I really like that because you can see them better in stalls.
Nice! Looks great 13:23 in the US there are codes that basically say it shouldn’t hurt someone’s eyes or disorient them if they are in the area. As you stated though, it’s likely different in Canada. Having them on 15 Candela on a bright day is just not effective. Also, will you be adding a detector to the under-deck shed?
That's called security hinges the set screw isn't on the top of the hinge but on one of the sides that is not accessible when closed and yes that is what is there
good video, however for that block heater, I'd put it on the bottom keeping the oil warm, which is what allows for easier starts due to warm oil flowing easier than cold oil would.
@@nics-systems-electric I didn't realize your particular engine didn't have a flat base, as most generator engines have flat bottoms as part of their casing at manufacturing.
I haven't really seen any fire alarm devices in the US that have 10,000 or 100,000 Candela strobes as this may be false as normally most fire alarm strobes only go up to 110 or 185 Candela
Easy Labels: - House - Detached Garage - Pool Storage Shed - Shed underneath Deck etc. Come on guys, don't confuse our boi Nic. Is your dog named Ala or Ava? I've heard both names!
Thanks Yeah it's confusing when someone calls the garage a shed when there are multiple other sheds so it gets confusing lol. the German Shepherd dog her name is Ayla
Flash scan and lite speed poll devices the same speed, but flash scan activates relays and control modules quicker. I have tested both saw a 1.5 sec faster relay/control modules activation on flash scan
I know they both poll 10 devices at a time and should be the same speed in that regard that's interesting you found faster with activating relay and control modules I believe there are some devices that are supported by flashscan but not litespeed but I'm not sure what it is maybe some multi criteria devices
Have you thought about adding a phizo sounder in the bedrooms to ensure that it can wake people up from deep sleep. My apartment building has a phizo sounder in each of the units.
No, we have low frequency sounders in the corridors which maintain the required 75 dB in most of the rooms at 520 Hz low frequency. having high frequency Piezo sounders would not be legal when you have low frequency sounders in the corridors it would then be mixed signals which you can't have. if there had to be something in the bedroom they would be low frequency sounders which are more effective at waking sleeping people.
Is the quick long succession of the green flashing lights on the smoke detector a few seconds after you hold the magnet meaning it’s going into pre-alarm and doing one final check to see if it needs to activate?
It may be faster communication to that device specifically to get updated status as fast as possible compared to the regular data speed however it does that rapid succession of polling around every 30 seconds in general
Awesome video! By far the best system test yet. Also, did you ever get that one pull station in the storage room figured out? In February’s system test, I remember it had some trouble activating when you pulled it. Also yes that is perfect weather. edit: yooo is that a new pull station I see at 12:08? 👀
From my understanding epileptic seizures are only caused by amounts of flashing usually more than 4 per second not so much to do with brightness of the flashes therefore why strobes have to be synchronized
Poor old Jackson doesn't like the alarms hey Nick? I'm sure he'll get used to it over time. Just keep reassuring him every time it goes off, and if you can rub from bottom to tip of his ears it should calm him a bit. Also Ava being chill should help as well! 🐕🐶
@@Rainbowhockey best way to get Jaxon to be normal seems to be to just put him outside but he will still freak out even when outside not sure what the deal is
@@nics-systems-electric Dogs take a lot of cues from their pack leaders - humans, but we don't fully understand all their behaviours. Just keep doing what your doing - let him know everything is OK and be as calm as you can and you have a chance of him not minding so much in future! Keep up the good work Nic. Love your videos! ❤️
I think both systems should be connected with a booster or whatever, to notify you if the garage is somehow on fire so you can call 911, etc. If you were in your house. I know you get notifications on the app but it would also be useful iin case the app doesn't work.
You can't have both systems put each other into alarm as then you would need to reset both and it will become like a dog chasing its own tail needs to be something not latching like supervisory
@@rainbuu6854 no nothing for trouble you would have to have a separate trouble supervisory monitor which would be more annoying every time you have a power outage
I know this has probably been asked and ive been searching the comments for a while now trying to figure it out. How did you get your garage system to send out texts. Is that a notifier specific thing or would your setup possibly work with another panel. Thanks Nic. Love the content!!
Our access control system does the same thing to a phone if you get it too close to the reader... actually makes me wish apple would implement EM4100 into the wallet so our tenants could unlock the doors with their phones...
That's why the electrical department does fire drills in our school district because school staff typically don't have enough knowledge or understanding of fire alarm systems
Well, i do not think we have an electrical department, since our school district is just 2 schools, which are merging next year, and it is always the principal that does it. The last time we had a fire drill, our school screwed up, and forgot to RESET THE FLIPPING PULLSTATION. So it would not be silenced.@@nics-systems-electric
Nic, something is odd, why do you have 2 garages in ur property, i saw the house alarm installation and ur house has a garage, which means the backyard garage is not necessary, explain
Hey nic next month could you go into the fire-lite system and go to an address and manually put it into alarm using the panel (activate a point without being at the point of activation)
@@nics-systems-electric hmmm in that case could you activate a monitor module without using the device itself monitoring or with the device it’s up to you
@@nics-systems-electric I'm not saying that, just saying that you don't have to directly look at the camera lens the whole time your talking. I creeped me out a bit. Looking at something else while talking is natural is what I'm saying.
I never said I wasn't going to connect them I said I wasn't going to connect them for full alarm that's why it's not connected to put each other into alarm
It's not used for Internet browsing it is just used for a local connection to the access control it is an old computer which likely would not handle a Windows 10 or 11 update for now until it is completely replaced it will remain Windows 7 completely safe
That's not correct. Fire alarms are in many buildings, the only way they can cause seizures is if not synchronized properly (more than 4 flashes per second)
Old systems are fine often times more reliable and will last longer than the new ones but not being tested is definitely a concern though I am in Canada I'm sure it's the same in the US that full verification has to be done once a year with monthly tests performed just to make sure it activates
its nice having it all in one video. Spotted a second pull station by the entrance to the house garage that you must have added. Definetly makes sense to have one there. You should activate the garage system by the pull station in the pool shed next month. Looking forward to videos on the new additions and linking the systems.
I know we all want the detector over the stairs activated with a magnet cause its so high 😂
Nice comment it made me laugh hard
Your dog is very cute
I like how when the fire panel in either building it set off a trouble or supervisory for one or the other panels
Supervisory, trouble beeps slower
Love the fog…yeppers ‘tis been a foggy October here on VI land…Your systems are wonderful Nic
Awesome work on this video, very entertaining! For the next test video I vote for testing the pull station in the pool shed! (Also I completely agree, that is definitely some great weather)
As an American, I didn’t know you had those strobe rules. They do seem kind of strange like you said. I know that here in the US strobes in sleeping areas have to be at least 115cd at the pillow and ADA strobe smoke alarms have to be 177cd. There aren’t really any limits.
Great video! They just keep getting better.
Testing both garage and house systems and emergency lighting in one video sounds good actually
Your dog knows when there's a fire, if the system goes off. lmao
Since we have the new system in the house, I’d like to see the smoke detector in the furnace room be tested next month. As for the garage building, the pull station in the storage room would be cool to see being tested.
pretty cool that u both alarm systems tied in
Like the setup! keep it up...
Thank you
That block heater pad would've worked on my dad's old 1986 Sunbird GT with the 1.8 liter 4 cylinder with the turbo charger.
Yes I have been looking forward to THIS test YES
i love your fire alarm videos and i love the longer videos
Good to see both systems working as they should. Good job. Noticed a second pull station in your house basement. I assume you were planning to reveal it in another video but maybe activate that station for the November testing video? As for the garage building, maybe use the tower pull station? That would be cool. Also, good job on boosting your grade to an A. You deserve it.
There is a video recorded on it as I said in this one the monthly test get uploaded much sooner than others
Thank you for the vid Nic
Testing both systems in one video is good i like your to do Pull station in the house and smoke detector in the garage in next system test
11:01 that dog doesn’t like the fire alarm sounds lol
Woah!!!! Awesome!!!!! :D
The NFS2-320C monitors the 9200. Also you added a pull by the door to the garage I see... Cool that you used my favourite fire alarm control panel for the house. (Its the NFS2-320) Supervised systems! Also I saw the emergency light on the ceiling. I get the way it works and want to see the system! Block heaters will help any engine. Also you are not a nerd, Things like that are cool! For the garage, fog up the new storage room. For the house do the new pull. (the one by the house's garage) Great video!
The NFS2-320C doesn’t exist, it’s literally just NFS-320C
@@NyxKemo Oh I feel stupid now.
My suggestion for November testing is Tower Pull
Wow! Very Cool Nic.
Nice probably my favorite test you ever made edit 11:21 I saw an emergency light
If you watch the whole video I showed the emergency light and testing
@@nics-systems-electricsorry i did watch the whole video gonna rewatch for 2nd time sorry about that!
Nice!!
I honestly like 30cd because it works good for most areas
The smoke from the Canadian wildfires has traveled all the way down here to southern Alabama
That was months ago tho lol
for the next test you should set off the house system with the new pull station and set off the garage system with the tower pull station
Honestly I'd go for 75 candela on the strobes in your house, that system is meant to protect the house and isn't like the one in your garage so getting the best coverage possible would definitely be a benefit
75 is probably a good number I'm not sure what you mean by "isn't like the system in the garage" they are a different brand but they are doing the same thing
@@nics-systems-electric The system in the garage seems to be aimed more towards a hobby system from what I can tell, but either way, you still did an amazing job on both
@@TuesdayOra not really it's it's the only fire protection for the building(s) though I have used it for demonstrations is still just as real as the system in the house and in some was more important as it monitors sprinkler flow
Hi
I meant to comment on what device to do but I forgot, I was actually gonna suggest the one you did but since you did it this month, maybe do the smoke detector in the garage bay next month?
As far as the videos for your emergency systems go, I would like it to be kept in one video, but hey, that is just me. Monitoring your house Fire alarm, I am not sure if you are putting the same thing you have in the Garage (I almost want to call it "Pickle 700 HQ" because that was your original channel name, and it is basically your office building at this point) the Rising-Link device, I am not sure if you are going to put the same thing in your house fire alarm system, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea. But anyway, I had a fire drill at my High School today, and unfortunately there was one casualty as far as Horn/Strobes go in the gym, there are 6 Horn/Strobes in that gym. One of them was not working as the strobe was not flashing, couldn't tell if the horn was working, but I knew the strobe was obviously dead, the 6 in the gym were original SpectrAlert, but majority of the building had SpectrAlert Advances, a couple of L-Series ceiling mount strobes, 3 of them newly installed in boys bathrooms because someone was ripping them off the wall, so now they are on the ceiling, I really like that because you can see them better in stalls.
Nice! Looks great
13:23 in the US there are codes that basically say it shouldn’t hurt someone’s eyes or disorient them if they are in the area. As you stated though, it’s likely different in Canada. Having them on 15 Candela on a bright day is just not effective.
Also, will you be adding a detector to the under-deck shed?
Another good brand of emergency light is dual lite. They make some good emergency lights
For sure
Niceee
You should do a fog test in your house to test the fire alarm.
if you haven't already you should install hinges with pins that have the set screw to stop the pin from being removed on the generator building door
That's called security hinges the set screw isn't on the top of the hinge but on one of the sides that is not accessible when closed and yes that is what is there
I really like how your dog Jackie is scared of the beeping of the annunciator and I am wondering what breed is she/he
I really hate it it's annoying he's a mutt and his name is Jaxon
good video, however for that block heater, I'd put it on the bottom keeping the oil warm, which is what allows for easier starts due to warm oil flowing easier than cold oil would.
Yeah I agree but it needs a flat surface it is not a flat bottom it is ridged so that would not work
@@nics-systems-electric I didn't realize your particular engine didn't have a flat base, as most generator engines have flat bottoms as part of their casing at manufacturing.
Nic for November’s testing can we do A pull station in the in the storage closet in the garage pls
Please do a video installing the Lithonia because im going to try to buy one
I heard in the us, the maximum strobe brightness allowed is 10,000 cd or 100,000 cd or something and no i did not say those numbers on accident
I haven't really seen any fire alarm devices in the US that have 10,000 or 100,000 Candela strobes as this may be false as normally most fire alarm strobes only go up to 110 or 185 Candela
the fire alarms went off at my YMCA today while I was there
Easy Labels:
- House
- Detached Garage
- Pool Storage Shed
- Shed underneath Deck
etc.
Come on guys, don't confuse our boi Nic. Is your dog named Ala or Ava? I've heard both names!
Thanks Yeah it's confusing when someone calls the garage a shed when there are multiple other sheds so it gets confusing lol. the German Shepherd dog her name is Ayla
My high school had a smoke detector in one of my classrooms reds where on solid as they had detected smoke but no alarms were going off?
Flash scan and lite speed poll devices the same speed, but flash scan activates relays and control modules quicker. I have tested both saw a 1.5 sec faster relay/control modules activation on flash scan
I know they both poll 10 devices at a time and should be the same speed in that regard that's interesting you found faster with activating relay and control modules I believe there are some devices that are supported by flashscan but not litespeed but I'm not sure what it is maybe some multi criteria devices
Have you thought about adding a phizo sounder in the bedrooms to ensure that it can wake people up from deep sleep. My apartment building has a phizo sounder in each of the units.
No, we have low frequency sounders in the corridors which maintain the required 75 dB in most of the rooms at 520 Hz low frequency. having high frequency Piezo sounders would not be legal when you have low frequency sounders in the corridors it would then be mixed signals which you can't have. if there had to be something in the bedroom they would be low frequency sounders which are more effective at waking sleeping people.
Is the quick long succession of the green flashing lights on the smoke detector a few seconds after you hold the magnet meaning it’s going into pre-alarm and doing one final check to see if it needs to activate?
It may be faster communication to that device specifically to get updated status as fast as possible compared to the regular data speed however it does that rapid succession of polling around every 30 seconds in general
Awesome video! By far the best system test yet. Also, did you ever get that one pull station in the storage room figured out? In February’s system test, I remember it had some trouble activating when you pulled it. Also yes that is perfect weather.
edit: yooo is that a new pull station I see at 12:08? 👀
Thanks. I don't recall having problems with pul stations not that I can remember
@@nics-systems-electric It was your 2023 annual test. The older one in the storage room didn't activate when you first pulled it at 8:51
@@CGray1234 OK I see that. That happens occasionally when the switch inside isn't in contact properly with the handle
@@nics-systems-electric oh ok
Sorry about calling the garage a shed in the last house fire alarm video 😢
All good just thought I should clear things up to prevent confusion
this is what we canadians like right
also a pull and smokie and heat
the brightness rule might have something to do with reducing Epileptic seizures in people
From my understanding epileptic seizures are only caused by amounts of flashing usually more than 4 per second not so much to do with brightness of the flashes therefore why strobes have to be synchronized
Hi! For your next test, could you possibly activate the CO2 detector in the garage building with the power off? Or the power can be on.
Yeah I usually do it during every test forgot on this one
Can we do the drill button on the panel for November testing
It's not accepted as a legal test that's why it's not called drill button in Canada anymore but it could be done just for fun in addition
How is the HVAC System shutdown & garage relay tie into the house?
You'll have to wait for the videos
Poor old Jackson doesn't like the alarms hey Nick? I'm sure he'll get used to it over time. Just keep reassuring him every time it goes off, and if you can rub from bottom to tip of his ears it should calm him a bit. Also Ava being chill should help as well! 🐕🐶
He is always hated fire alarms since coming from his previous abusive homes not much will calm him. Ayla Is fine though
bless you for keeping them both safe anyway ❤
@@Rainbowhockey best way to get Jaxon to be normal seems to be to just put him outside but he will still freak out even when outside not sure what the deal is
@@nics-systems-electric Dogs take a lot of cues from their pack leaders - humans, but we don't fully understand all their behaviours. Just keep doing what your doing - let him know everything is OK and be as calm as you can and you have a chance of him not minding so much in future!
Keep up the good work Nic. Love your videos! ❤️
My son with that he had it at the house and the garage
I think both systems should be connected with a booster or whatever, to notify you if the garage is somehow on fire so you can call 911, etc. If you were in your house. I know you get notifications on the app but it would also be useful iin case the app doesn't work.
You can't have both systems put each other into alarm as then you would need to reset both and it will become like a dog chasing its own tail needs to be something not latching like supervisory
Oh.
Handsome
10:45 that's what my school has
Just curious
Have you ever confused a fire alarm pull station for a doorknob?
Asking for a friend...
Not a door knob but light switches sometimes when you're fumbling around the wall in a dark room
ahh, did the house system go into supervisory because of the garage and vice versa? if so that's a pretty good decision. great video!
Yep
@@nics-systems-electricdoes it do anything when panels go into trouble?
@@rainbuu6854 no nothing for trouble you would have to have a separate trouble supervisory monitor which would be more annoying every time you have a power outage
one might say thats pretty overkill firealarm
It's installed to code (the minimum required installation) except the exemption of the attic heat detectors pull stations and duct detector
I know this has probably been asked and ive been searching the comments for a while now trying to figure it out. How did you get your garage system to send out texts. Is that a notifier specific thing or would your setup possibly work with another panel. Thanks Nic. Love the content!!
It's not a notifier brand panel but a firelite so no not specific but I have a video on it
@nics-systems-electric ok thanks. Ill have to check it out
There’s the pull station by the garage door LOL without not seeing it being installed but eh it is what it is.
I talked about this in the video that the monthly tests get uploaded way before other videos so yes you will notice things
Are you going to be doing the co detector in the garage
Don't remember if I did
Our access control system does the same thing to a phone if you get it too close to the reader... actually makes me wish apple would implement EM4100 into the wallet so our tenants could unlock the doors with their phones...
Ayy someone watched till the very end end of the video!!
I SEE A NEW PULL STATION
Yes I will have a video out on installing it
Maybe Jackson's got the right idea he said get out get out the alarm ringing that means get out he wants to make sure his humans get out
Or he's just an idiot lol
I told our school they do not have to flip the switch, but they do it anyway, because "when we close the door, it does not flip up the switch
That's why the electrical department does fire drills in our school district because school staff typically don't have enough knowledge or understanding of fire alarm systems
Well, i do not think we have an electrical department, since our school district is just 2 schools, which are merging next year, and it is always the principal that does it. The last time we had a fire drill, our school screwed up, and forgot to RESET THE FLIPPING PULLSTATION. So it would not be silenced.@@nics-systems-electric
Nice! Are you going to add carbon monoxide alarms in the house?
Nope addressable detectors are so expensive for CO and there's no danger of it so I can't justify it
Nic, something is odd, why do you have 2 garages in ur property, i saw the house alarm installation and ur house has a garage, which means the backyard garage is not necessary, explain
Not odd at all I'm allowed to have two garages if I want you know
@@nics-systems-electric I'm not saying its illegal, its unusual, idk why u built a extra
@@coresecurityguard5634 because you need more room? Pretty normal
I’m suprised that the outside strobe with a higher brightness makes it visible on the camera lol
The outside strobe isn't new those ones have always been on 115 but yes they don't show up as well
Why are the systems not connected we they go in to alarm
They are connected for supervisory
@@nics-systems-electric okay
Hey nic next month could you go into the fire-lite system and go to an address and manually put it into alarm using the panel (activate a point without being at the point of activation)
That function is not available
@@nics-systems-electric is it available on the notifier system?
@@Thefreindlytaco5814 not that I've ever seen
@@nics-systems-electric hmmm in that case could you activate a monitor module without using the device itself monitoring or with the device it’s up to you
@@Thefreindlytaco5814 very few places I could do that as the system is mostly addressable
Keep the one video
Looks great, but just a suggestion is not to lookinto the camera the whole time your talking..
You're saying don't look at the camera lens when you're talking? Like stare off into the distance?
@@nics-systems-electric I'm not saying that, just saying that you don't have to directly look at the camera lens the whole time your talking. I creeped me out a bit. Looking at something else while talking is natural is what I'm saying.
The thumbnail says September testing
Yeah copy and paste problem lol
PLEASE PUT TAPE AROUND THE WIRES FOR ENGINE HEATER AS IT MIGHT RUB OUT ON YOUR OIL DRAIN NUT WHEN GENERATOR IS RUNNING.
There are zap straps holding it tight in place
do the smoke detector right by the living room on the 1st floor
First 🎉🎉🎉
It doesn't matter who gets first comment, it's not a race.
@@odinconnor-randomvideos5267 True however it’s interesting.
@@michellebertrand7702tbh it’s not, it’s just flat out annoying
@@CGray1234 Think that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
@@michellebertrand7702 oh yeah for sure
Don’t worry, you’re in good company you frickin nerd 😃 - takes one to know one!
great vid, but you leaked the key code for box at 8:57 being
Thanks. The key is no secret anyone can buy that key for five dollars it comes with every pull station
you wired it in i tought you did not want to do that
I never said I wasn't going to connect them I said I wasn't going to connect them for full alarm that's why it's not connected to put each other into alarm
@@nics-systems-electric oh that was what you meant
it is mi birthday The 4th
YOU SHOULD TEST THE SMOKEY IS YOUR ROOM FOR THE HOUSE AND FOR THE SHOP YOU SHOULD DO THE NEW STORGE ROOM SMOKE
u need a new computer for access control. win 7 not secure
It's not used for Internet browsing it is just used for a local connection to the access control it is an old computer which likely would not handle a Windows 10 or 11 update for now until it is completely replaced it will remain Windows 7 completely safe
I will say it not good it could cause somebody to have a seizure or migraines
That's not correct. Fire alarms are in many buildings, the only way they can cause seizures is if not synchronized properly (more than 4 flashes per second)
might wanna fix your thumbnail lol
I don't see a problem lol looks great to me
This being your house puts my place of work to shame. Out dated system and they don’t even test at all.
Old systems are fine often times more reliable and will last longer than the new ones but not being tested is definitely a concern though I am in Canada I'm sure it's the same in the US that full verification has to be done once a year with monthly tests performed just to make sure it activates
You should do a fog test in your house to test the fire alarm.
I did one with the duct smoke detector that one is scheduled to upload sometime soon